It may get that on a long trip, but for day-to-day driving...
From Consumer guide Automotive
Forget the EPA. Consumer Guide's auto editors drove 150,000 miles
last year. We drove to work, to day care, to the grocery store, and on
vacation. We drove through record heat, blinding snow, driving rain,
and confounding road construction, keeping track of every drop of fuel
we used along the way.
The EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Our numbers are
real. A typical Consumer Guide test car is evaluated by at least four
editors, all of whom account for their individual fuel usage. Here are
the vehicles in each class that used the least amount of fuel while in
our care.
Honda Odyssey-16.4 MPG
Toyota Sienna-16.4 MPG
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2008-fuel-economy-champions.htm
Consumer Reports faired a little better with 19 MPG.
As one poster noted about the Odyssey
"my normal gas mileage is 17 mpg in the city and 24.5-25 mpg on the
highway. I've gotten as low as 15 mpg in the winter here (10% ethanol
fuel) and as high as 27.1 mpg on the highway (traveling by myself with
just two suitcases). I keep my tires at 37 psi, which is what made my
gas mileage increase by 1-2 mpg."
Another noted about his Sienna " I drive 80MPH and still get 24 MPG"
which I will dismiss as total BS.

If one owns a vehicle that has an onboard fuel computer you will discover
they most efficient speed to drive is around 70 MPH, not 60 MPH. At 75 it
is only a mile or two less but still two or three more than when I drive 55
MPH.
wrote:

It may get that on a long trip, but for day-to-day driving...
From Consumer guide Automotive
Forget the EPA. Consumer Guide's auto editors drove 150,000 miles
last year. We drove to work, to day care, to the grocery store, and on
vacation. We drove through record heat, blinding snow, driving rain,
and confounding road construction, keeping track of every drop of fuel
we used along the way.
The EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Our numbers are
real. A typical Consumer Guide test car is evaluated by at least four
editors, all of whom account for their individual fuel usage. Here are
the vehicles in each class that used the least amount of fuel while in
our care.
Honda Odyssey-16.4 MPG
Toyota Sienna-16.4 MPG
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2008-fuel-economy-champions.htm
Consumer Reports faired a little better with 19 MPG.
As one poster noted about the Odyssey
"my normal gas mileage is 17 mpg in the city and 24.5-25 mpg on the
highway. I've gotten as low as 15 mpg in the winter here (10% ethanol
fuel) and as high as 27.1 mpg on the highway (traveling by myself with
just two suitcases). I keep my tires at 37 psi, which is what made my
gas mileage increase by 1-2 mpg."
Another noted about his Sienna " I drive 80MPH and still get 24 MPG"
which I will dismiss as total BS.

That's not what I'm getting. I own and drive a Sienna and I calculate
over a number of trips my gas mileage. If anyone chooses to not believe
me, fine, I don't care. I know what I get in gas mileage and that is
all that matters to me. My friend who has a 08 Ody gets even better gas
mileage and he is conservative and flat honest, if he didn't get what he
gets he would say so.

Howdy,
Let me add something to the mix...
I have an '04 Sienna AWD. I live in rural New Hampshire and
so do very little stop-and-go driving.
In the four years I have had the van, I have never gotten
better than 18 mpg, and I have a light foot.
The simple reality is that as is true for any manufactured
product there are variations part to part, and they may have
a cumulative effect.
I don't doubt for a moment that there are folks who get far
better mileage in what is ostensibly the identical car.
All the best,

My Odyssey has a onboard computer that I verify every fill up. It gets 17
around city. Never better around town. End I have the more efficient
engine that turns off 3 cylinders during coasting. I believe they may have
a new version that can turn off 4 cyclinders in the Accord. Not sure if it
is in the Odyssey though.

snip
Mind explaining what you mean? By coasting do you mean rolling with
the gear shift in neutral? If that is what you mean is engine cut out
in this condition a requirement of North American autos as it
certainly isn't so for European vehicles. In Europe it is becoming
increasingly common for modern vehicles to stop the engine when at
rest and for the engine to restart when the gas pedal (accelerator) is
depressed.

Uh boy, another topic introduced! ;-)
Re: the regular/super debate - here in NJ, we have regular (87), plus
(89) and super (91/93). My Audi A4 turbo requires "super" - 91 octane
- although I have run it with no issues on 89. My wife actually filled
it with regular (87) once and it definitely was down on power. Don't
recall the gas mileage (although I have it in my log). I can imagine
some small towns (which is where I assume dbu lives) which don't carry
all 3 grades. I've seen that in Maine, but if they have 87 and 89,
it's still labeled 'regular' and 'plus', not 'super' for 89. And who
uses 'Super' for their lawnmowers, etc?? I use the cheapest crap I can
find, just like for the Odyssey. ;-) I filled it up yesterday for
$3.83 (full serve, too, which is all we have in NJ).
Dan D
Central NJ USA

I'm well aware of that.
Re coasting: the definition is simply forward motion due to force of
gravity, I think you have added the bit concerning engagement of
engine with drive train.
With respect to the engine cutting out (either by gas cutoff or
ignition cutoff or both) when the torque is reversed (vehicle driving
engine), this is something new to me and I am pretty sure that doesn't
occur in my Civic (2005) or in any other fuel injected vehicle I have
driven worldwide. I take your point that there is no gain by
injecting fuel under these circumstances. How does the engine detect
'torque reversal' to cutoff fuel and ignition? Does this occur each
time you brake as braking is a 'coasting' event the way you define it.
Incidentally what is 'electronic fuel injection' the converse of which
is, I assume, 'mechanical fuel injection'. If you mean a carburetor
in my 'parlance' a carburetor is an induction system not an injection
system :-) re Collins English Dictionary 'induction'.

OK, then restating my previous question, what is the converse to
electronic fuel injection in a gasoline engine. Mechanical fuel
injection is the normal system for diesel engines but not, AFAIK, used
for gas engines.
As I understand it you are saying that during the period when
'coasting' to stop no fuel is being admitted to the engine. If this
correct at some point fuel must be readmitted to allow the engine to
idle when the vehicle is at stop. The question is how does the
'system' determine when fuel is to be readmitted during the coasting
event to prevent the engine from 'stopping' when at rest?
Incidentally rpm and throttle position does not indicate torque
reversal (coasting) as you have implied.

Let me get this straight. I think you are claiming that the engine uses
*NO FUEL* during coasting...., right? So, let's think of an example....
If I was coming down a large mountain, on the Interstate, at 65mph, and
was to *COAST* for 20 miles (entirely realistic in some places), you are
saying that I would not use ANY FUEL? Right?
My take on that is that it's absolutely wrong. The engine is still
running, even if it's not doing any real "work". It is using fuel.

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